The present disclosure relates generally to nonwoven composite fabric. In particular, the disclosure relates to a nonwoven composite fabric comprising polyethylene terephthalate and mineral fiber, and to a panel made therefrom.
Nonwoven composite fabric encompasses a variety of thin sheet materials and thin-wall materials. These nonwoven composite fabric products may be a lofted material suitably used as insulation, or may be a pressed material suitable for use as thin sheet materials and thin-wall materials, such as divider panels and protective panels, for example. Nonwoven composite fabric may be flexible or rigid. Rigid panels may be three-dimensional rather than two-dimensional.
Typically, nonwoven composite fabric comprises filaments or fibers bound mechanically, chemically, or thermally. The filaments or fibers are not woven or knitted, but rather are bound together. Thus, the fibers need not be formed into yarn, but rather can be used directly, for example, as roving. Also, shorter fibers often can be used in nonwoven composite fabric than is required for spinning to convert a roving into a yarn.
Manufacture of nonwoven composite fabric requires arrangement of the fibers so that they can be bound together. Fibers can be wet-laid or carded, natural or synthetic, and can be arranged in single or multiple plies. Binding can be mechanical, such as by needling (interlocking the fibers by pressing into the web serrated needles that snag fibers and carry them in the thickness direction). Fibers also can be bound chemically, for example, with an adhesive. Thermal binding typically involves application or distribution of a binder within the fibers, then melting the binder onto the fibers by increasing temperature.
Nonwoven composite fabrics have been made using fibers from various sources that have been bound in the manners known to the skilled practitioner. Nonwoven composite fabrics have properties and characteristics that can be manipulated to an extent by processing the arranged fibers and binders during the binding step. For example, the nonwoven composite fabric can be pressed to compact the fabric before any adhesive sets completely or while any binder is not solidified. Compression typically increases strength of the nonwoven composite fabric with the cost of reduced flexibility.
Nonwoven composite fabric has been adapted for many uses. For example, nonwoven composite fabric has been used to manufacture various products, such as filters; insulation; clothing, such as disposable hospital gowns; absorbent articles of various types, including as a ‘dry feel’ surface for an absorbent article; acoustical dampener; wipes of various types; upholstery and headliners for vehicles; agricultural fabrics; surgical gowns, caps, and drapes; masks; roofing products; and many other products. Nonwoven composite fabric can be made to be soft, as for gowns and drapes, or can be made stiff or rigid, as for masks and acoustical dampener. Thus, nonwoven composite fabric can be versatile.
However, properties and characteristics of nonwoven composite fabric comprising a given combination of fiber and binder or adhesive cannot be manipulated without limitation. For example, strength of a nonwoven composite fabric is reflected in tensile strength, toughness, flexibility, and resistance to puncture, for example. Strength may be limited, inter alia, by the strength of the fibers, the strength of the binding system, and the degree of processing. These and other limitations on the construction of nonwoven composite fabrics limit the ranges of properties and characteristics of the resultant products of the given combination of fiber and adhesive or binder.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for improvements in nonwoven composite fabrics to produce products that have properties and characteristics that make them suitable for selected uses requiring high strength and rigidity, for example, and provide nonwoven composite fabrics for uses not contemplated for known products.